Abrupt maneuvers in General Aviation accidents

Abstract

Objectives

Abrupt maneuvers are an event category with a proportion of fatal accidents that is higher than in the broader category of General Aviation flights while mostly taking place in favorable light and weather conditions. This study aims to analyze this event category with suggestions for possible mitigating strategies.

Methods

A total of 226 accidents reporting abrupt maneuvers were collected from the National Transportation Safety Board online database and coded type of aircraft, flight phases, instructional flights, and pilot characteristics. A Poisson regression model with the total flight hours as an offset was used to determine trends over time, while an ordinal logistic regression model with highest injury level as the response was applied to determine variables significantly associated with fatality.

Results and recommendations

The total number of fatal accidents shows a significant downward trend for fixed-wing airplanes but not for helicopters. The ordinal logistic regression model shows that helicopters, physical environment, and the presence of a student pilot are significantly associated with less fatality, with 83.3%, 71.8% and 77.1% reductions in the odds of being more fatal, respectively. Scenario-based training programs that focus on decision-making are likely to assist in mitigating the number of accidents with abrupt maneuvers but are advised to include scenarios in favorable light and weather conditions while also distinguishing between different categories of aircraft.